AfroStat

🇬🇭 UP: Caleb Yirenkyi’s late goal earns Ghana 1-0 win over Panama in 2026 World Cup opener. The Black Stars have now registered the joint-top highest number of wins (6) among African nations in World Cup history. Nigeria has 6 wins too.

First goal, first point

🇨🇩 HISTORIC: Yoane Wissa’s first-half equaliser for DR Congo against Portugal at the 2026 World Cup is the African nation’s first ever goal in World Cup history. It comes 52 years since the nation, then known as Zaire, made their World Cup debut.

🇩🇿 ALGERIA: After a win and a draw in the first game of their first two World Cup tournaments, Algeria have now successively lost the first match of their last three World Cup tournaments following a 3-0 defeat to Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.

🇸🇳 REPEAT? Senegal’s only previous meeting with France at the World Cup came in 2002 when the debuting Teranga Lions registered a stunning 1-0 win over the then defending champions in the tournament opener. The two teams are set for a second ever showdown at the 2026 World Cup.

🇹🇳 NEW: Tunisia have appointed former Morocco and Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard as new coach following dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi after the 5-1 opening day defeat to Sweden. It is the first time in World Cup history that a team has dismissed their head coach after just one game in the tournament.

🇪🇬 EGYPT: The Pharaohs are yet to record a win in World Cup history after 8 matches (3 draws, 5 defeats) following their 1-1 draw with Belgium at the 2026 World Cup. They are the African nation with the most games played without a win at the World Cup.

🇨🇻 BIG: Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with 2010 champions Spain is the first time a debuting African nation stood tall to avoid defeat in their first ever game at the World Cup since Senegal’s 1-0 win over France in 2002. Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, & Togo have all debuted since 2002.

🇹🇳 LOW: Tunisia’s 5-1 loss to Sweden in their 2026 World Cup group opener is the heaviest defeat suffered by an African nation at the World Cup since Cameroon’s 6-1 loss to Russia in 1994.

🇨🇮 COTE D’IVOIRE: Amad Diallo’s 90th minute strike earns the Elephants a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their 2026 World Cup opener. It is the West Africans’ first win over South American opposition at the World Cup after defeats to Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. Broken

🇲🇦 MOROCCO: Following their 1-1 draw with Brazil in their 2026 World Cup opener, the Atlas Lions have become the top-joint African nation with the most draws in World Cup history - 8 drawn games (5W, 8D, 11L). Cameroon are the other nation.

🇲🇦 MOROCCO: The 2022 World Cup semifinalists are the first African nation to win their group in World Cup history, achieving the feat in 1986 by finishing above England, Portugal and Poland. The African champions are set to open their 2026 campaign against Brazil.

REVENGE?: African champions Morocco take on Brazil in their 2026 World Cup tournament opener on Saturday. The Atlas Lions’ only previous World Cup meeting with Brazil was in France in 1998 when they suffered a 3-0 defeat. 🇲🇦

FLAT: By their 2026 World Cup opening day 2-0 defeat to Mexico, South Africa has now gone four games without a win in their opening fixture in World Cup history (2 defeats, 2 draws). 🇿🇦

🌍 REDEMPTION TIME: South Africa’s 2026 opener vs Mexico will be Africa’s 163 match in Fifa World Cup history. In the past 162 games, African nations have won only 37, equalling a win rate of 22.8%. Bafana’s meeting with Mexico in the 2010 World Cup opener ended in a 1-1 draw.

🏆 Line-up set for 2026 World Cup Africa will have 10 representatives for the first time in history, one (Cape Verde) of which will be debuting. Congo DR the last to qualify for a return since 1974 after Tuesday’s playoff win over Jamaica.

PENALTY MAGNET: Ghana and Wolfsburg defender Jonas Adjetey has conceded successive penalties in all three of his last appearances for both club and country. 🥅 vs Hamburg 🥅 vs Austria 🥅 vs Germany The Black Stars are down by a goal at half-in Monday’s friendly vs Germany